Capitol rioter Riley Williams, who stormed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office on January 6, 2021, was reportedly “shocked” that a federal judge wasted no time incarcerating her by ordering U.S. Marshals to take into custody the Pennsylvania woman immediately after the jury handed down guilty verdicts in six of the eight charges for her role in the attack.
Williams was among a mob of supporters of then-president Trump who stormed the building while Congress was meeting to confirm Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election, according to prosecutors. She was charged with eight crimes, including aiding and abetting the theft of a laptop that Pelosi (D-Calif.) used to conduct video conferences with U.S. and foreign officials.
Jurors convicted Williams, who was 22 on the day of the insurrection, on charges related to “participating in a civil disorder, impeding officers who tried to clear the Capitol Rotunda and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” Politico reports.
“But the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on two of the central counts in the case: whether Williams ‘aided and abetted’ in the theft of a laptop from Pelosi’s office that the speaker used to make Zoom calls amid the Covid pandemic, and obstruction of Congress’ Jan. 6 proceeding — a felony that carries a 20-year maximum penalty.”
According to CBS News Congressional Correspondent Scott MacFarlane, who’s been extensively covering the January 6 trials, the judge’s swift action was “a surprise” for Williams and her attorneys.
“Judge orders Riley Williams go directly to jail. She’ll be in US Marshals custody until her February sentencing. Her defense attorney tells me it’s a surprise to Williams,” MacFarlane reported on Twitter.
“Williams, who’d successfully secured court permission to travel to multiple ‘Renaissance fairs’ pending trial & had brought pink purse to court, goes to jail. A man who was sitting in courtroom for her trial carried her purse outside. Her defense says the ruling was a shock to them,” he added.
Williams, who’d successfully secured court permission to travel to multiple “Renaissance fairs” pending trial & had brought pink purse to court, goes to jail. A man who was sitting in courtroom for her trial carried her purse outside. Her defense says ruling was shock to them
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) November 21, 2022
